B9101

Auldearn High Street

The B9101 provides part of a useful Nairn Bypass for those who know the road, although it isn't necessarily any quicker than the A96 from Auldearn into Inverness.

The route starts on the A96 Auldearn Bypass and initially follows the old line of the A96 through the narrow streets of Auldearn itself. As the route curves along Forres Road, it feels quite spacious, with modern housing set back behind gardens. However, the High Street is noticeably narrower, with old stone houses stood at the back of the pavements, and parked cars creating a single lane slalom through the village. At the western end of Auldearn, just before passing the last houses, the B9101 TOTSOs with the B9111, which continues ahead on the old A-road to the other end of the bypass. The B9101 regains its original width, becoming a full S2 once more as it climbs southwards, and it isn't long before the last house is passed and the road heads out into open countryside.

Heading south west now, the road runs between fields and patches of woodland down to a realigned, staggered crossroads with the A939. Doglegging left-right, the road continues as before, passing the few houses of Foynesfield and then dipping down to cross the Geddes Burn. After about a mile and a half it reaches another TOTSO, this time with the B9090 from Nairn, which continues ahead towards Inverness. From the A939 westwards, it has very narrow or non-existent verges, with limited visibility on the bends, and this, along with its popularity as an alternative to the A96, has justified a 50mph limit.

History

The route was originally unclassified but had gained its number by 1932, probably as early as 1925 or 1926. At that time, it started in the centre of Auldearn, at a junction with almost zero visibility and now blocked by bollards, but the street name (Cawdor Road) echoes its origins. The realignment to the west end of the village was probably done in the late 1970s. With the construction of the Auldearn Bypass on the A96 in 1987, the route was extended east through the village to meet the A96 at the eastern end of the bypass. If the proposed dualling of the A96 past Nairn takes place, the B9101 will be extended further east to meet the new junction near Wester Hardmuir.